COAT: Vince Camuto (Marshalls)// TOP: H&M// JEANS: New York & Company// SHOES: BCBGeneration (Marshalls)// PURSE: Michael Kors (Marshalls)// WATCH: Michael Kors
Hello Beauties,
I hope you all had a wonderful start to your week! Today's pairing is quite feminine, since I chose to wear a softer color palette, blush pink and grey. These two colors work great together, since blush pink has a bit of an ash grey undertone, making it the perfect match with grey bottoms! This particular top is ultra feminine because of the embellished neckline. I personally love tops that have this, since it helps to eliminate the stress of having to find that perfect necklace to wear. To top of the look, I wore this statement coat, which is in a luxurious burgundy/wine color, with a faux fur collar. I shared on Facebook the other day how much I love grey and burgundy during this time of year; I created a look demonstrating how well they really do look paired together. In general, neutral, jewel toned, and deep colors have a very luxurious tone. Neutrals tend to have a light and feminine feel and jewel toned and rich (vibrant) colors have more an intense feel and when combined, they can make for beautiful combination and when you through fur (faux) into the mix, girl forget it! You'll look ultra glam ;)
When it comes to your body shape, one thing to keep in mind if you're a pear or hourglass, and thinking about purchasing grey jeans is the fading. There are grey jeans that don't feature a fading section of the jean (the center of the thigh) and are just a solid grey, while others, like the one's I'm wearing do. If you happen to like the fading, you may want to select a pair that have a straight fade down the center of the leg, while the rest of the jeans are a solid grey. This will ensure that your legs don't appear any larger than what you may want them to appear. The opposite goes for all you apple and rectangular shapes. You on the other hand want to add some visual weight to your bottom half and an easy way do so is to select jeans that have fading regardless of the intensity. The light will reflect, causing your legs to appear fuller.
We are getting closer and closer to Christmas, it's only 20 days away, can you believe it?! That means that there are holiday parties galore and you my girl have been invited to one I'm sure...but what do you wear? I know after the excitement of receiving an invite sets in, the stress of what to wear sky rockets and that's where I come in! Let's take a breathe and begin to address the different types of parties there are and how you can look and feel your best dressed self on that special evening!
OFFICE/PROFESSIONAL PARTY
Holiday office parties can be quite fun and a bit stressful to prepare for, in terms of the perfect outfit. Don't be afraid to enhance your everyday work wear by adding some unique statement pieces and jewelry. It's a fun and inexpensive way to make any of your work clothing more festive. However, if you do want to purchase something to wear, consider making a purchase on something that you know you'll be getting use of in the future, perhaps to other upcoming parties. One thing I want to mention, which is extremely important, do not wear anything that's too short (mid-thigh) or too low (cleavage line is noticeable) because you do need to maintain a level of professionalism, even though you're off hours. You'll be around people you work and interact with on an everyday basis.
This pairing is perfect for all you pear shapes because it features an embellished top, which would look great paired with black trousers for a night out on the town or with jeans for a more casual feel. A top like this provides versatility, so if you come across one or happen to purchase this one, you'll know for certain that you'll get plenty of use out of it! Here, I paired it with a sheen sliver skirt, but it would look fantastic with colors red or black. Since the top has an embellishment, the attention is placed primarily on top, minimizing the attention placed solely on a wider hip. I'd suggest tucking it into the skirt to re-emphasize the waistline. The straps aren't too thin, so you'd be able to remove your blazer or cardigan without worrying if it's inappropriate.
This look is a perfect example of working with what you may already have in your work wardrobe. I paired a black button-up with a red and white patterned skirt (if you have a plain red, it would work just as well) with beautiful silver accessories. The necklace and shoes help make the look more festive and dressy. This look is also perfect for my apple shapes, since the eye will focus on the skirt and legs, essentially balancing out a voluptuous upper body.
This pairing would look great on all my rectangular shaped ladies because the jacket features a double breast and has a curved silhouette, which will add some dimension to your figure. The dress has beautiful sequins that are subtle enough to wear at another event, such as a wedding. When wearing a dress like this without a blazer, I'd suggest wearing a neutral colored waist-belt to help redefine the waist and add some visual curves.
An embellished sweater is perfect for this time of year and can easily dress up your look, when creating a holiday party outfit. I added this chunky gold braided statement necklace to enhance the upper portion of the outfit, since the skirt is pretty basic, however, the shoes are anything but! The chain detail on the shoes tie in with the chunky gold necklace, pulling the entire look together. Remember, office parties should be office wear dressed up a notch and accessories with a statement and detail can do just that!
COCKTAIL/SEMI FORMAL PARTY
This is the time that you can certainly play dress-up and experiment with your look, so definitely have fun! Create a festive pairing that can either be over the top or more simple, with small hints of sequins, it all comes down to what you feel comfortable in!
I bet you didn't think you can wear a jumpsuit to a cocktail party, they're called cocktail jumpsuits! I happen to love them because I feel they give off a bit of a modern feel and are a great option for those of us who either don't want to show our legs or can't take the cold! In this case, I selected a style that would look fantastic on all my fellow pear shapes. The reason is that the top portion of the suit features a more flowy 60/70s style with wider arms (an option that's great for those who have larger arms and are generally insecure about showing them. Larger sleeves make your arms appear smaller!). Plus, it has sequins all throughout the top! The bottom portion is black, which of course will create a slimming effect, as well as a lengthening, especially if you decide to wear black shoes. In this case, I decided to pair the jumper with gold sandals to make it more festive, but it would look great with black as well! Even though the top is pretty glitzy, which will leave most to think that a statement necklace shouldn't or couldn't be worn, one actually can be added mainly because of the shape of the top. Also, the necklace I selected has more black and silver accents, which create a nice contrast against the gold. Never select a necklace that will overlay a top that's in the same exact color of the top without any additional colors, it'll easily become lost and defeat the purpose it serves.
Here I created yet another look that features a jumpsuit that's festive and perfect for your cocktail party. This particular one would look great on all you apple shapes because it has a wrap detail where the bust is, which will help visually slim the area and since it also features a cinched waistline, your waist will be redefined. As for the other pieces within the look, I went for a black and gold theme, which I honestly do feel is quite festive and exudes glamour. The shoes are rather interesting and have a bit of a menswear vibe, mimicking a tuxedo and bow-tie pairing.
For all of my rectangular shaped ladies, if you're looking to wear a dress, opt for one that has a natural shape, which will in turn add to and enhance your own. With this particular look, I stuck with a black and gold theme, once again. I selected drop earrings because I didn't add a necklace to the look. If you choose to wear a statement necklace, I would suggest wearing stud earrings instead of drop, so that the two aren't fighting for attention. Drop earrings bring focus to the lips, which is why I decided to add red lipstick; this essentially eliminates the need for a necklace. As for the cocktail ring and watch/bracelet, I would suggest wearing the two on opposite hands. If you're married or engaged, try wearing the cocktail ring on your right hand, so that it doesn't take attention away from your beautiful ring(s).
This dress is a statement, since it's covered in sequins, so keep the accessories to a minimal when wearing a dress like this, to ensure that it remains the statement. Slinky dresses like this look ahhhhhmazing on all you hourglass shapes because your figure fills them out rather nicely, but to maintain an elegant feel, I wouldn't suggest wearing something that's both slinky and extremely short! Since the straps are quite thin, I always suggest wearing or bringing a shawl/wrap along. Not only will it'll make you feel more comfortable, it'll also keep you warm if the air conditioning becomes unbearable. I selected a v-neck shaped necklace, which mimics the neckline of the dress, ensuring that it will sit comfortably within the boarders of the neckline. As for the clutch, I selected a rather interesting one. It features a mixture of exotic animal prints in a nice and clean shape.
CASUAL PARTY
Have fun with some statement pieces that have a festive tone. This is the most flexible style of party, so have fun and wear what you'll feel comfortable in. It's certainly okay to wear denim for this particular gathering, but I would suggest wearing either black or dark blue, since it can help dress up your look a bit effortlessly!
An easy way to dress up a look is to wear something embellished. In this case, I selected a beautiful blouse that features sequin patchwork on the shoulders in both silver, gold, and bronze. Pairing it with dark washed jeans allows the top to truly stand out. To top of the look, I selected sequin pumps because why not?! It's the holidays after all!
I selected a wrap around romper because it would simply look fabulous on all you apple shaped ladies! I do suggest wearing black opaque tights to keep yourself warm, as well as adding a chunky oversized black cardigan. I also added black booties that have a gold heel to add to the festive look.
Since we're dressing for a casual holiday party, it's safe to go with an embellished sweatshirt, like the one featured in this set. To dress it up more, I suggest pairing it with a dark washed jean and sequin shoes that tie in with the color of the sweatshirt's embellishments to maintain that festive and holiday vibe.
A great way to feel more dressed up is to wear leather leggings; they instantly dress up your look, while maintaining that level of comfort we've all come to love with leggings! To enhance the dressy feel, select a top that has a flowy style, since they tend to appear more dressy, that features some embellishments or sequins.
I hope you all found this post to be helpful and that it took much of the guess work out of coming up with that perfect outfit for your holiday celebration! As always, thanks for stopping by!
CARDIGAN: Marshalls// SHIRT: Max Studio (Marshalls)// JEANS: New York & Company (HERE)// SCARF: Steve Madden (Marshalls)// RAIN BOOTS: Coach// PURSE: Louis Vuitton Trevi GM
Hey Girlies,
This is a look I wore yesterday, which was a very gloomy and rainy day, however, the temperature wasn't too bad, which was nice! Since it was unusually mild, I was able to ditch the heavy coat and instead, wore this black waterfall cardigan I've had sitting in my closet for ages. Waterfall cardigans are a great way to add some dimension to both your upper and lower half, in a less dramatic way. It also helps to visually elongate the trunk of the body, making it appear longer and leaner, especially when worn in black! I decided to wear a striped t-shirt underneath with a pop of color in my scarf, to add some contrast between the shirt and cardigan, but let's further discuss the striped tee. The stripes in the shirt I'm wearing are horizontal, which will obviously cause the eye to move across the top of the body in most cases and as a result, certain body shapes, such as the apple, inverted triangle, and rectangular shapes can appear even wider than they naturally are, but this doesn't necessarily mean that those of you who have these shapes can't wear them. I generally prefer suggesting vertical stripes for the shapes listed above, but they can be a tad difficult to find in a casual tee (they tend to be more popular in dressier or collared blouses) and so, I would suggest selecting a tee that has black as the base and white for the stripes, exactly the opposite in color pattern than what you see in my shirt. The black will visually slim the area and since the white (remember, white highlights) stripes are rather thin, you won't have to worry about will appearing larger! Check out an alternative look I created based on this suggestion. I also changed the style of cardigan to a cocoon, which will help add some visual width to the hip area ;)
It's amazing to me how much the little things in our clothing can make such a huge difference and I believe that's why I'm so passionate about discussing and providing suggestions or styling mechanisms and clothing for the different body shapes.
Since I'm wearing dark denim jeans, this look would definitely be appropriate for a rainy dress down day at work. It reads casual, fun, yet put-together at the same time. I added my favorite Coach rain boots to tie in with the hot pink infinity scarf I wore and loved the way the look turned out. As mentioned in the is week's video, this Louis Vuitton damier printed purse goes great with the look, but I also did mention that the shape of the purse can either make the look casual or dressy and with this particular style, the Trevi GM, the looks appears a bit more dressed up, which is why I would consider perhaps the Neverfull purse as a possible everyday purse for this particular print, since it's large enough for anything you'd possibly need, if you were considering purchasing one this season :)
I hope you all loved the look and that it inspired you to recreate it! Thanks so much for stopping by and showing love!
I'm glad to be back with another video, this time on an accessory that's my favorite, purses! I love purses for a number of reasons. They obviously serve the purpose of holding our entire life and then some (lol), as well as enhancing our outfits. But in this video, I will be explaining what I would suggest you pay attention to when purchasing your everyday purse, if you don't have one or you're in the market for a new one. The tips mentioned are based on my opinion and personal experience and I hope you find them all helpful! Thanks so much for watching in advance, I greatly appreciate your time!
Music in Inro:
BY: Lino Rise
TITLE: Fremantle
SOURCE: free-intro-music.com
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0
BLAZER: c/o Alice's Pig// SHIRT: Cynthia Rowley (I live in these!) (Marshalls)// PANTS: New York & Company// NECKLACE: New York & Company// BRACELET: Little Switzerland (Aruba)// SHOES: Nine West// PURSE: Michael Kors (TjMaxx)
Hello Loves!
I've been gone for a week, I did post things on social media, but this is the longest I've ever been gone from the blog in two years! I must admit, I enjoyed my time off because I was able to really enjoy the time with my family. For the past two years, I've blogged on every holiday, as well as when I vacationed two years ago in Aruba. During those times, I kind of regretted the lack of quality time I didn't spend with my loved ones because I was working so much, and one thing I've learned between then and now is that I cannot get time back, so I really wanted to cherish the time spent this past holiday. I hope you all had a wonderful time spent with your loved ones as well!
Now onto my outfit. This look was inspired by an outfit I saw on Victoria Beckham on Pinterest the other day, in which she wore a white tee, dark blue blazer and blue bottoms. I obviously made it my own, which you now see. I absolutely love this blazer, which was gifted to me by Alice's Pig. Remember I mentioned the love I had for the label over a month ago, when I attended the Press Preview hosted by Red Light PR? I love their pieces because they're vintage inspired and you all know how much of a fan I am of vintage pieces and styles! It's also menswear inspired, a style that I've been loving a lot for the past several months. When working with menswear inspired pieces, it's important to consider wearing other pieces that denote a feminine feel, to establish an equilibrium. In this case, the purse and pointed-toe shoes do just that. I love how the purse helped bring out the intensity of the cobalt pants and created a berry-like feel, perfect for this time of year. These are colors that I adore and feel would look fantastic on every single one of you, since they work with all skin-tones ;)
When it comes to the different body shapes that I would suggest this for, I would say that the overall look would work for all shapes, which includes the blazer. The reason is that it provides some visual sculpting in the midsection, creating a slimming and defined waistline, due to the curvatures, an easy way to conceal some of those extra pounds some of us feel we've gained after this past Thanksgiving, lol! The only thing I would suggest is that if you're an apple shape, you consider wearing a navy or black top, since white tends to highlight and it's featured on top an area that tends to be wider for those in this category, as well as for my hourglass shapes.
I hope you all love the look and I will see you in my next post!
